Beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus and method



H. W. RIBBLE May 23, 1939.-

BEVERAGE COOLING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD Filed June l, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 23, 1939.

H. w. RIBBLE 2,159,729

BEVERAGE COOLING AND DISPENSFING APPARATUS AND METHOD 4 Sheets-She et S Filed June 1, 1937 i "9 Q I 7 A/ I w g VP J m m 1 M" n E n n 13 n n m m x H n n H a )z mm \MH Q i w fi I Y Q BEVERAGE cool me Ania DISPENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD I H. W. RIBBLE May 23, 1939.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 1, 193'? Patented May 23, 1939 PATENT OFFICE 2,159,729 BEVERAGE COOLING AND DISPENSING AP- PARATUS AND METHOD Barry W. Ribble,

Niles Center, 111., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Rapids Equipment Co. Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, incorporation of Iowa Application June 1, 1931, Serial No. 145,723

11 Claims.

My invention relates to cooling and dispensing methods, and apparatus for beer or otherbeverages containing dissolved gases ,and ithas special reference to improved methods of coolin 5 and to an improved unitary, compact, cooling and dispensing apparatusv for use in taverns and bar rooms in which the available space for such apparatus is extremely limited.

One object of my invention is the provision oi l apparatus of this character which is inexpensive to construct, which is highly efiicient in its operation, and which is designed to be self-contained so that it may be disposed in the very limited space under the bar and permit use of the top of the box for work-board space.

Various arrangements for cooling and dispensing beer at a precise and constant temperature have heretofore been proposed. In many of such arrangements the cooling operation is accom- 20 plished simply by placing the beer keg in a refrigerated compartment and leading beer lines or conduits from the keg in the compartment tocooling coils mounted adjacent the dispensing faucets at.the bar. ,It is customary to locate such 5 refri erated compartments at a place remote from the'bar, as for example in the basement or in a room on the same floor as the bar, and accordinglythe beer lines or conduits are of considerable length so that a considerable temperature rise 30 may occur as the beer flows from the keg to the cooling coils or the faucets.

,As will be understood by those skilled in the art,

such a temperature rise is highly detrimental because of the fact that the internal pressures 35 initially obtaining in the beer keg caused by the dissolved gases in the beer, vary with the ternperature conditions, and as a result of this temperature rise a mixture of half gas and half beer 1 with excess foam may be introduced to the cooling 40 coilsadjacent the faucet. Even though the beer a is again cooled at these coils, the beverage issuing from the faucet may be flat and unpalatable, and may have an excessive amount of foam due to the large amount of gas that has escaped there- 45 from during passage through the beer lines.

Furthermore, unpasteurized beer such as is ordinarily sold in kegs quickly develops fermentation and undergoes a large increase in bacteria when subjected to warm temperature'conditions.

It has of course been proposed to cool the beer lines themselves in order to prevent this' temperature rise, but systems or this character are notTentirely satisfactory due to the fact that considerable apparatus and accordingly considerable ai space therefor is required. In many small taverns and bar rooms little if any extra room space is available, and accordingly the problem of properly cooling and dispensing beer becomes more difficult. Furthermore, long beer lines, even if properly cooled, provide certain disadvantages due to l the fact that the beer reacts with the metal lines and coils to form a deposit known as beer-stone and to produce cloudy and unpalatable beer. This beer-stone must be periodically removed from the lines which requires a diflicult and time consuming cleaning operation. Obviously long rubber beer lines are not satisfactory since the material of the rubber hose provides breeding beds for bacteria, Accordingly it is a further object or my invention to provide a cooling and dispensing apparatus having beer lines of minimum length.

In small taverns or bar rooms it often happens that the only available space for the beverage cooling apparatus is the rather limited space beneath the bar itself, a large portionof which is taken up by washing and storing equipment for the beverage glasses. Because of the limited space available beneath the bar forbeer cooling apparatus, it has-heretofore been'necessary, in most cases, to locate the coil box containing the cooling coils beneath the bar, and in order to provide for proper icing of the coil box a section of the top of the bar is cut away to receive the re movable cover of the coil box. Such practices of course mar the appearance of the barand a considerable installation cost is involved. Likewise the disflgurement of the bar itself renders the bar unsuitable for use thereafter, if the sale of beer is discontinued. I Bars are almost uniformly of the same height and consequently additional spade cannot be made available under them for installation of object of my invention to provide the combination 4,0 of a bar of standard height .and a compact and efflcient unitary beer cooling and dispensing apparatus which is adapted to fit in the limited space beneath a bar, which does not necessitate cutting or disfiguring in any manner the bar it- 4,; self, which provides working space on the top thereof below the bar and which is effective to; dispense beer at a precise, constant temperature. Q

In carrying out my invention in one form, I I provide a beer-keg-containing insulated housing so the top wall of which consists of two portions ar- I ranged in difierent horizontal planes. The botan adjacent side wall, which closure means communicate with each other so that a tapped beer keg may be inserted therethrough into the housing to rest in the reservoir. The top rod of the beer keg extends upwardly through the top wall of the housing after insertion of the keg and closure of the closure means, and a dispensing faucet is mounted directly on the upper end of the tap rod spaced from the lowermost one of the top wall portions sufficiently to permit insertion of a beer glass below the faucet, the uppermost one of the top wall portions forming a working. surface below the bar. Cooling means such as ice, refrigerating coils, or solid refrigerants such as dry ice, in heat exchanging relation with the bath of cooling medium are also provided within the housing, together with means for con-. trolling the level of the cooling medium bath so as to control the temperature of the beer drawn from the keg.

More particularly, the insulated housing is adapted to be located in the space beneath a bar of standard height, and the top wall of the housing consists of a fixed rear portion and a removable front portion. A foramious vertical partition extends upwardly from the bottom of the reservoir to divide the housing into a. plurality of compartments, and a door in one wall of one compartment extends from the top of the reservoir to the top of the wall, the upper edge of the door abutting the removable front top portion so that when the door is open and the front top portion is removed, an unobstructed opening is provided through which a tapped beer keg may be inserted and lowered into the reservoir by tilting the keg during insertion thereof. The beer keg, after insertion, rests. on the bottom of the reservoir partially beneath the fixed top portion, and the tap rod from the keg extends upwardly beyond the top wall of the housing to support a dispensing faucet adjacent the top of the bar, the fixed and removable top portions being respectively provided with cut-away portions or notches in the cooperating edges thereof for receiving the tap rod.

In order properly to cool the beer keg, a body of ice is disposed in a second one of the compartments separated from the beer keg by the foraminous partition, and a bath of ice water, when ice is used as the cooling means, partially immerses the body of ice and the vbeerkeg; The body of ice extends for a substantial distance above the surface of the bath of ice water and accordingly suflicient pressure is exerted on the immersed Portion of the ice to maintain the ice in contact with the bottom of the reservoir so that melting of the ice results in a progressive downward movement of the body of ice iHto thebath of ice water to augment the bath and maintain a constant supply of ice in the water, and adjustable overflow means are provided for maintaining constant the level of the bath and for adjusting the level of the bath to control the temperature of the beer contained in the keg, the removable top portion providing access to the top of the second compartment for replenishing the supply of ice therea further aspect of my invention, I provide means, including the tap rod, for additionally 7ocooling the beer keg and for maintaining constant the temperature of the beer as it is conveyed to a the faucet. Thus the tap rod consists of a re stricted passageway for conducting the beer from the keg to the faucet, and a chamber extending substantially the length of the passageway in heat exchanging relation therewith. Inlet and outlet means are provided for the chamber, and a cooling medium p mp is connected to the inlet means for conveying the cooling medium from the reservoir to the chamber, and for circulating the cooling medium through the chamber to the outlet means, the outlet means being arranged to discharge the cooling medium from the chamber onto the upper portion of the beer keg so that the discharged cooling medium flows over the beer keg in returning to the reservoir.

For a more complete understanding of my invention, reference should now be had to be drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view of a unitary beer cooling and dispensing apparatus embodying my invention, the section line of Fig. 1 being taken along the line l-I of Fig. 2

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view partly in section, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view partly in section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the section being taken along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of apparatus embodying my invention;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevational view partly in section, of a tap rodembodying my invention;.'

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of another form of tap rod embodying my invention; and

Fig. 8 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 88 of Fig. ,7.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I have shown my invention as applied to a unitary, compact beer cooling and dispensing apparatus adapted to be placed under a bar 'of standard height and comprising an insulated housing having front and back walls Ill and II respectively, end walls I2, a

bottomwall l3 and a top wall which consists of a tending portion 16 arranged to engage the fixed rear portion II, the line of engagement being indicated by the reference numeral [6a in Fig. 3. As shown best in Fig. 2, the removable front portion l5 of the top wall is divided into two sections, the outer end of each section being supported on the adjacent end wall I! and the innerend of each section being supported on a beam I! which extends from the rear wall H to the front wall It intermediate the ends of the housing.

Although myinvention is not limited thereto, I have shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 an apparatus for cooling and dispensing beer, which apparatus is provided with two dispensing faucets for drawing beer from two cooled beer kegs. Inasmuch as the arrangement of each keg and faucet is identical, only so much of the apparatus as is shown in section in Fig. 2, that is, the left hand half of the cooling and dispensing apparatus, will be described in detail.

In order to provide a suitable reservoir for containing a cooling medium, the bottom portion of the insulated housing is'provided, as shown, with a tank or pan H! which ispreferably formed of a suitable metallic material, the side walls of the pan or lining l8 extending upwardly from the bottom thereof adjacent the side and end walls of the housing, and the bottom of the pan l8 resting on the bottom wall ll of the housing. Intermediate the end wall I! and the beam I! which supports the removable front top portion I5, I provide a foraminous partition. 13 which divides the housing into a plurality of compartments one of 3 which is adapted to contain a beer keg 20, and the tical strips the ends of which are respectively secured to the walls of the housing, theupper ends of the vertical strips being secured to the uppermost one of the horizontal strips.

As shown, the beer keg which is adapted to A be contained within the compartment on the lefthand side of the foraminous partition I3, as viewed in Fig. 2, is provided with a tap rod 22 which is identical in construction with the tap rod shown in Figs. 5 and 6 except that the inlet and outlet connections to which the conduits 55 and 60 are connected are disposed at right angles to the connections 53 and 54 of Figs. 5 and 6.

The function of these connections will be fully described hereinafter with reference to Figs. 5 and 6. As shown in Fig. 1, the tap rod 22 extends upwardly through the top wall of the insulated housing and supports a dispensing. faucet '23 in' spaced relation to the removable lower portion l5 of the top wall, the spacing of the faucet from the top wall l5 being sumcient to permit the insertion of a beer glass, such for example as the glass 24 (Fig. 1) beneath thefaucet 23, so that beer may be drawn from the faucet into the glass. The keg 20 and the tap rod 22 are of course provided with a tapping connection 25 which is shown somewhat diagrammatically as constituting a tapping connection of the type well known in the art, and in order to provide for insertion of the tap rod into the beer keg before the keg is placed in the insulated housing, the front wall In of the keg-containing compartment is provided with a door 26 which extends from the upper edge of the reservoir l8 to the top of .the wall 10, the upper edge of the door 26 being arranged abuttingly to engage the front edge of the removable top portion l5 so that when the door 26 is opened'and the top portion I5 is removed from the housing, an unobstructed opening is provided in the housing through which the beer keg with the tap rod already connected thereto may be inserted into the housing. Thus the beer kegand its connected tap rod may be inserted through the unobstructed opening simply and by tilting the beer keg so that the lower end theretof enters the housing first and is lowered into the reservoir l8. i

After insertion into the insulated housing, the

beer keg 2Q occupies the position shown in the drawings in which it is partially beneath the fixed top portion I4. and in which it rests on the bottom of the reservoir l8, suitable spacing strips 21 being provided, if desired, which spacing strips extend along the bottom of the reservoir [8 so as to provide a slight clearance between the bottom of thekeg and the bottom of the reservoir.

These strips 21 also serve to protect the bottom of the reservoir from injury during insertion of the keg 23. As mentioned above, the tap rod 22 extends upwardly through the top wall of the insulated housing, the fixed rear portion ll of the top wall and the engaging portion l8 of the removable'front portion l5 being provided with cooperating notches." and 29 for receiving the tap art, the beer is conducted from the keg to the dispensing faucet by maintaining within the keg 20 a pressure of suflicient magnitude to force the beer upwardly through the tap rod 12V to the faucet 23. In order to maintain the proper pressure within the keg, the tapping connection 25 is provided, in accordance with the usual practice, with a connection32 which is connected by means of a flexible hose 33 and a three-way connection 34 to a pressure line 35 which leads to a suitable source of pressure medium. While various pressure mediums may be used, I prefer to employ a reservoir of liquid carbonic gas so as to maintain in the beer keg an enveloping blanket of carbon dioxide which, in addition to its function of maintaining the beer under the proper pressure, also functions to maintain the proper degree ,pf carbonization of the beer. As shown in Fig. 2, the second outlet of the three-way connection 34 is connected to a hose 36 which-leads to the tapping connection associated with the beer keg contained in the right-hand half of the insukegs without disconnecting the hoses from the connections 34 and 25.

It will now be apparent that when the reservoir l I8 is partially filled with a bath of cooling medium, such for example as water, the beer within the keg 20 will be cooled by the transfer of heat from the keg through the cooling medium tothe body of ice 2 I, the cooling medium of course flowing freely through the foraminous partition l9. It will likewise be apparent that as the body of ice 2| melts, it settles downwardly into the reservoir I8 so as to augment or increase the quantity of ice ,water in the reservoir, and so long as the ice compartment is at least one third full a constant supply of ice extending from the surface of the with a plurality of apertures for receiving suitable Eorksor plugs 38. Removal or insertion of the plugs 38 is, of course, effective to vary the level of the cooling medium bath within the reservoir,

and I have found that once the ambient conditions in theyparticular taverns or bar rooms have been determined, a predetermined constant beer temperature may be-obtained by initially adjusting the overflow means so as to maintain the bath of cooling medium at a predetermined level. As shown, the overflow pipe 31 extends outwardly through the bottom wall l3 of the insulated hous ing and the extending end 39 thereof may be con-- nected'to any suitable disposal conduit.

It is of course necessary in beer dispensing apparatus to provide a drain plate for catching and conveying away drippings from the dispensing faucet, and accordingly the removable'front portion 15 of the top wall is provided with a countersunk portion 43 in onecorner of' which is arranged a drain pipe 4| which extends through the top portion lland discharges into a suitable trough 42. This trough 42 extends rearwardly toward the rear wall I I of the insulating housing and is arranged to discharge into a second trough.

43 which extends along the rear wall of the housing. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the right-hand section of the insulated housing which, as indicated above, is identical with the left-hand section, is provided with a drain pipe 44 similar to the drain pipe 4i and with a trough 45 which is similar to the.trough 42, and which is also arranged to discharge into the trough 43 extending along the rear wall of the housing. This trough 43 in turn discharges intoa pipe 46, the lower end of which extends into the overflow pipe 31 so that the beer drippings are conducted, along with the overflow of the cooling medium, bath; to a suitable disposal conduit or sewer.

It will now be apparent that I have provided a compact, unitary beer cooling and dispensing apparatus which may be located, as shown, within the space beneath a standard bar, such for example as the bar 41 shown in the drawings, without necessitating any cutting or disfigurement of the bar itself, and that the rear fixed portion l4 of the top wall may be used as a working space for storing glasses etc.

As shown in the drawings, the total height of the assembled keg, tapping connection, and tap -rod'(2ll, 25, and 22 respectively), is such that the dispensing faucet 23 is supported below the top of the bar 41, the keg and the bar being of standard size and height, which standards are well known in the art. Furthermore, the height of the. assembled keg and tapping connection is so related to the total height of .the assembled keg and tap rod that the rear top wall l4, beneath 1 which the tapping connection is partially disposed, is spaced below the faucet outlet a distance less than the distance necessary for readily dispensing beer from the fauoet'23. Ready dispensing of beer from the faucet 23, however, is

permitted by reason of the fact that the lower topwall portion I5, which is directly below the faucet outlet, is spaced sufliciently therefrom to compartment on the right-hand side of the foraminous partition I9 and partially immersed in the brine or cooling medium. It will likewise be understood, of course, that a foraminous partition similar to the partition i8 is provided for separating the body of ice orother cooling means from the right-hand compartment in which is disposed a beer keg .48, the arrangement of the keg, 48 in the right-handcompartment being identical with the arrangement of the keg 20 in the left-hand compartment.

In Fig. 4 I have shown a beer cooling and dispensing apparatus 49 embodying my invention, having a singlefdispensing faucet 50 and adapted to receive only one beer keg. This em-- bodlment of my invention is particularly suscepti- "pic of use as a portable bar, in which case it may be used, independently of the standard bar 41."

It willbe understoodmf coursiii that this cooling and dispensing apparatus is substantially identical with the left-hand portion of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, except that the righthand end wall of the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 occupies substantially the same position as the supporting beam I! in Fig. 2. Thus only two compartments are provided one of which re;

ceives the beer keg, and the other of which re- 1 ceives the cooling means; the two compartments being separated by a foraminous partition. It will of course beunderstood that my invention is not limited to one or two keg arrangements but may be embodied in cooling and dispensing apparatus for any desired number of kegs simply by providing the proper number of compartments.

While the construction thus far described functions satisfactorily to cool and dispense beer at a precise constant temperature, I prefer in some cases to provide means for additionally cooling ,the beer and for preventing a temperature rise fin the beer as it is conducted along the tap rod to the dispensing faucet. For this purpose the tap rod 22 as indicated above is constructed as shown in Fig. 5. As there'shown, the tap rod 22 surrounds an inner passageway or tube having a considerably smaller diameter than the outer casing 22, this inner passageway 5| providing a restricted conduit through which the beer is conducted to the faucet 23, and the annular space between the passageway 5| and the outer casing 22 constituting a chamber which extends substantially the length of the tap rod.

The tap rod or casing 22 isv provided adjacent its upper end with an inlet connection 53 and with an outlet connection 54 which consists of a small diameter tube that extends downwardlywithin the space, between the passageway 5| and the casing 22 to a point adjacent the bottom of the tap rod. The inlet passageway 53 is connected by means of a hose or conduit 55 to the outlet of a small fluid medium pump 56 which is disposed in one corner of the beer keg compartment and immersed in the bath of cooling medium or ice water. Although any suitable type of pump may beused, I have shown, for purposes of illustration, a centrifugal pump of a type available on the market, the impeller element of which is supported on the lower end of a shaft 5'! which is connected to the rotor of an electric motor 58, the frame of the electric motor being secured to the rear wall ll of the housing, and being provided with brackets 59 which supportthe casing of the pump 56. As shown best in Fig. 2, the outlet connection 54 of the tap rod is connected to a hose 60, the discharge end of which .is disposed above the beer keg 20 so that when cooling medium is forced by the pump 56 through the chamber within the tap rod and out the exhaust passageway, the cooling medium will be discharged over the top portion of the beer keg 20. Thus the flow. of cooling medium through the chamber in the tap rod is effective to prevent a temperature rise in the beer as it flows to the faucet, and is also effective to cool the faucet itself. Furthermore, the cooling medium discharged over the upper portion of the beer keg assists in cooling the beer within the -keg.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a somewhat different type of tap rod embodying my invention, the out- ;er casing or tap rod 22 in this embodiment of my invention surrounding a hollow tubular member 6| which is closed at both ends, the external diameter of the member 8| being only slightly less than the internal diameter of the tap rod 22 so as to provide a narrow. annular way through which thebeer is conducted to the dispensing faucet. In this embodiment of my invention an inlet connection 62 is provided which extends through the tap rod and into the hollow member SI, and an outlet. tube 63 of restricted diameter is arranged within the hollow member for withdrawing the cooling medium at a point adjacent the bottom of the hollow member 6!. The tube 63 is connected, as shown, to an outlet connection 64 which extends through the tap rod 22 adjacent the top thereof. It will of course be understood that in this embodiment of my invention the inlet connection 62 is connected to the hose is leading from the circulating pump,

and the outlet connection 64 is connected to the hose or conduit 60 which discharges over the upper portion of the beer keg.

In order further to minimize heat loss from the tap rod, the tap rod may be provided, if desired, with a protective insulating covering 65 (Fig. 1) which'is preferably formed of a resilient material suchas sponge rubber, so that it may be slipped over the lower end of the tap rod before the keg is tapped, suitable apertures being provldedin the covering member 65 (Fig; 2) for receiving the inlet and outlet connections by means of which cooling medium is circulated through the tap rod.

, It will be understood, of course, that the term "beer as used throughout the specification and claims is used generically and is intended to cover all similar beverages of the general class that contain dissolved gases and require careful handling and cooling to accomplish dispensing thereof in a palatable and sanitary condition.

While I have shown particular embodiments of my invention, it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited thereto since many modifications may be made and I, therefore, contemplate by the appended claims to cover any such'modiilcations as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention. In this connection it should be understood that the terms bottom of the bath, bottom of the reservoir, and lowermost portions of the bath, as used in the specification and claims, are intended to define that lower portion of the bath which is substantially Q coextensive with that lower portion of'the conbath or reservoir.

tainer that is to be cooled. In other words, these expressions define the effective bottom of the 0bviously,'false bottoms or gratings may be employed in the ice or keg compartments to support either the keg or the mass of ice, or both, a slightdistance above the actual bottom of the reservoir, without departing from the principles of the present invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A beer cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising an insulated housing the lower portion of which constitutes a reservoir for containing a bath of cooling medium, a beer keg in said housing partially immersed in said bath, a tap rod extending from said beer keg through the top of said housing for connection to dispensing means, said tap rod including a passageway for conducting beer from the bottom of said keg and ,a'chamber in heat exchanging relation with said passageway throughout the entire length of said passageway, inlet and outlet means for said chamber, and means including said inlet and outlet means for circulating cooling medium from beer is controlled during passage tap rod. 7

- ing a bath of cooling medium, a beer kegin said housing partially immersed in said bath, a tap rodextending from said beer keg through the top of said housing for connection to dispensing means, said tap rod including a passageway for conducting beer from said keg and a chamber in heat exchanging relation'with said passageway, means including a cooling medium pump for conveying cooling medium from said reservoir to said chamber, and outlet means for discharging said cooling medium from said chamber on to the upper portion of said beer keg to assist in cooling the beer in said keg and in said tap rod.

3. A beer cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising an insulated housing the lower portion of which constitutes a reservoir for containing a bath of cooling medium,=a beer keg in said, housing partially immersed in said bath, a tap rod extending from said beer keg through the top of said housing for connection to dispensing means, said tap rod including a passageway for conducting beer from said keg and a chamber extending substantially the length of said passageway in heat exchanging relation therewith, pump means for conveying cooling medium from said reservoir to an inlet adjacent the top of said chamber, means for causing said cooling medium to flow downwardly through said chamber in heat exchanging relation with the beerin said passageway and then upwardly to an outlet adjacent the top of said chamber, and means for discharging said cooling medium from said outlet onto the upper portion of said beer keg so that/said cooling medium flows over said keg in returning to said reservoir.

4. A beer cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising an insulated housing the lower portion of which constitutes a reservoir for containing a bath of cooling medium, a beer keg in said housing partially immersed in said bath, a tap rod extending from said beer keg through the top of said housing for connection to dispensing means, said tap rod including an outer conduit and an inner conduit of restricted diameter, said inner conduit serving to conduct beer from said keg to said dispensing means and said outer conduit forming a chamber therearound in heat exchanging relation therewith, inlet means adiacent the top of said tap rod, pump means connected to said inlet means for conveying cooling medium from said reservoir to said chamber. outlet means including a tube of restricted diameter disposed in said chamber for conveying said cooling medium from a point adjacent the bottom of said chamber to an outlet connection adjacent the top thereof; and means for returning said cooling medium from said outlet means to said reservoir.

. 5. A beer cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising an insulated housing the lowerportion of which constitutes a reservoir for contain,- ing a bath of cooling medium, a beer keg in said housing partially immersed in said bath, a tap rod extending from said beer keg through the top means,isaid tap rod including an outer conduit and a hollow tubular member closed at both ends having an external diameter less than the intemal diameter of said conduit supported therein to provide a narrow circumferential eway through said i V or said housing for connection to dispensing for conducting beer from said keg to said dis.- pensing means, inlet means adiacent the top of said hollow member, pump means for conveying cooling medium from said reservoir to said inlet means, means within said hollow member for causing said cooling medium to flow downwardly in said hollow member and then upwardly therein to outlet means adjacent the top of said memher for returning said cooling medium to said reservoir.

6. The combination with a bar over which beer is sold of a unitary beer cooling and dispensing apparatus adapted to be disposed wholly within the confines of the height'of said bar,

, said apparatus comprising an insulated housing containing a beer keg having connected thereto by a tapping connection a tap rod of sufiicient length to extend through the top wall of said housing, the total height of said assembled keg,

tapping connection and tap rod being such that a dispensing faucet mounted on the uppermost portion of said tap rod is positioned below the top. of said bar with the faucet outlet at a maximum distance from said top wall when said keg is insaid housing, said top wall including a fixed rearportion disposed in a plane above said tapping connection whereby said keg and tapping connection may be positioned at least partially beneath said fixed. rear portion, the height of said assembled keg and tapping connection being so related to the total height of said assembled kegand tap rod that the maximum distance of said rear portion from the top of said bar is such that the outlet of said faucet is spaced from said rear top portion a distance less than the distance necessary for dispensing beer from said faucet,

said top wall also including a removable front portion disposed in a lower horizontal plane and having an upwardly extending section for engaging said rear portion, a door in one wall of said housing cooperating-with said removable top portion to provide an unobstructed opening through the side and top of said housing for insertion of said assembled keg and tap red, said tap rod when said keg is posltioned'partially beneath said fixed rear portion extending through said top wall rearwardly of said upwardly extending section and supporting said faucet with the outlet thereof directly over said removable front portion, said front portion being spaced from said faucet outlet sufficiently to provide for readily dispensing beer in glasses inserted beneath said outlet, at least one of said top portions being notched to receive said tap rod.

'7. A unitary beverage cooling apparatus com-' prising an insulated housing the lower portion of which constitutes a shallow reservoir for containing a bath of cooling medium, a. foraminous partition extending upwardly from the bottom of said reservoir to a point adjacent the'top of said housing to divide said housing into a. first and second compartment, closure means for said housing adapted when open to provide for insertion of a beverage containing keg into said first compartment, said keg when inserted resting in said reservoir partially immersed in said bath of cooling medium, said second compartment being adapted to contain a body of ice partially immersed in said bath, the height of said second compartment being substantially greater than the depth of said bath, whereby so long as said second compartment is filled with ice above a predetermined point a sufficient downward force is exerted on the immersed portion of said body of ice to insure that said portion extends to the bottom of said reservoir, said body of ice upon melting moving progressively downward into said bath, andoverfiow means formaintaining constant the level of said bath whereby the heat exchanging relation between said bath and said body of ice is maintained constant uniformly to cool said keg. f

8. The method of cooling a beverage container which comprises partially immersing said container in a shallow bath of water, maintaining out of direct-contact with said container and in heat exchanging relation with said bath at the lowermost portions of said bath a body of ice of said bath, the height of said other compartment being substantially greater than the depth of said bath whereby so long as said compartment is filled with ice above a predetermined point the lower portion of the ice is maintained in contact with the bottom of said reservoir to insure that said ice is in heat exchanging relation with the lowermost portions of said bath, .and means for maintaining substantially constant the depth of said bath whereby said keg is uniformly cooled.

10. The method of cooling a beveragecontaining keg which comprises partially immersing said keg in a shallow bath of water; maintaining said bath at a constant low temperature by means of a mass of ice projecting from said bath at one,

side of said keg and of sufficient bulk to cause a portion of the ice to remain at the bottom of the bath, and maintaining substantially constant the depth of said bath. 1

, 11. The combination with a cabinet of cooling apparatus carried thereby; said cabinet including a beverage keg receiving compartment arranged to maintain a bath of cooling liquid in contact with the lower portion of a keg located in normal position within the compartment and a closure for the top of said compartment; said apparatus comprising a jacket projecting through said closure, a draft conduit extending through'the-jacket, a conduit system including a pump for supply- Y ing cooled liquid from said bath tosaid jacket,

and means for conducting the liquid from said jacket to a point locatedabove the normal position of the head of a keg arranged within said cabinet. I

' HARRY W. RIBBLE. 

